title: 'Plans are useless'.
abstract: An essential element in crisis recovery is the protection and/or recovery of reputation. This calls for a crisis communications function that is of more than passing interest to the business continuity specialist and which presents two major challenges in this era of process-driven management: (1) it is an inexact science, more about common sense, psychology, empathy and 'playing it by ear' than about box ticking; (2) it does not lend itself to detailed, rigid plans, although some degree of planning is essential. This paper outlines a flexible approach that will help the crisis team to develop a workable communications plan that strikes a balance between being too detailed and too sketchy. It argues that the whole management team should be involved in developing the plan and sets a number of questions, which, on being answered, will help a realistic, achievable and effective plan to evolve.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bland
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003142:Communication; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D017146:Models, Organizational; D012308:Risk Management / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: communications; crisis; planning; preparation; reputation